Wiltshire Council wins prestigious award for community hubs programme

WILTSHIRE Council is delighted to have won an award for its community hub programme.

The Council's community hub programme won the Silver Award for Community Regeneration at the iESE Public Sector Transformation Awards last night (Tuesday, March 6).

Cabinet member for community hubs, John Thomson, said: "We're delighted that our hub programme has won this prestigious award. We have worked closely with local community groups to deliver successful hubs in Devizes, Calne and Malmesbury, and we are developing other community hubs.

"Local communities and groups have been at the heart of our community hub programme, and this award recognises our commitment to providing Wiltshire residents with highly quality sustainable services, delivered in a convenient, accessible way, while also representing value for money."

Community hubs offer services such as libraries, leisure activities, space for community groups to hold meetings and events, all in one place.

Calne's community was the first to open in September 2016, and has been a huge success thanks to its open access system, which allows community groups and other hub users to access the facility out of hours. The hub is currently used by 39 local groups, and as a result the Council has seen the number of volunteers increase, enabling the library and other services to be available for longer, and be more sustainable in the future.

The Riverside Community Hub in Malmesbury opened in February last year, and quickly established itself as a popular venue for local groups and clubs. It is managed by Friends of Riverside, a charitable incorporated organisation that is made up of a group of community volunteers.

The community hub in Devizes opened in July last year, offering a library, council services and Age UK, as well as flexible community meeting space that can accommodate more than 100 people. Like Calne, the Devizes hub is accessible out of hours, providing flexibility for community and commercial use.

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